Ailsa Wild

"What a fun, educational, and very accessible adventure." --Sandor Ellis Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation Meet the ecosystem inside you ... A timid Bifidobacterium named Biffy is forced to leave their family and become part of a new community, in the gut of a newborn human baby. Follow Your Gut is a comic that ate a biology textbook. It's an epic adventure set over the first three years of a new life, exploring one of the most important relationships you will ever have--the one with your gut microbiome. Created by artists, scientists, and educators, this story is for anyone who's curious about the human-microbe symbiosis, and what all those trillions of bacteria are doing down there in your intestines Inspired by the latest research, Follow Your Gut includes a fascinating and detailed appendix that explains the amazing science behind the story. 'We fell in love with Biffy, the adorable Bifidobacterium. We also learnt about the scientific process of growing up, and the not-so-secret universe that we have inside us ' -- Kira and Catherine, Year 7, University High School, Melbourne 'A wildly entertaining science lesson that will change how you see your own body.' -- Dr Nat Bannan, high school science teacher

You’ll Be a Wonderful Dad is your practical and emotional guide on fatherhood in the lead up and months following the birth of a baby. Once a letter to a dear friend and quickly passed on from dad to dad, Ailsa Wild’s warm and encouraging words of precious love and excitement have expanded into a beautiful hardback book to be shared on the parenting journey. You’ll Be a Wonderful Dad is a kind and important guide on how dads can be proactive in supporting their partners and family through the lead up to birth and new parenting: from practising emotional labour and sharing the mental load to embracing play and connection. Complete with illustrations from Bernard Caleo, this is a must-read and perfect gift for new or expecting fathers. Since writing her original letter, Ailsa has heard from countless families sharing what her words have taught them. Becoming a father is a time of love and learning, when sexism and gender roles can be frustratingly reinforced. But dads belong right in the middle of their families, experiences all the joy and messiness. It’s going to be wonderful. You’re going to be wonderful.

The Care Factor tells the story of one incredible nurse – one among many – who chose to meet an unprecedented global health crisis on the frontline. Simone Sheridan has one of the most sought-after skills today. As a nurse, her skill is to care. When Covid-19 began to spread across the world in 2020, Sim volunteered to retrain to work in Melbourne’s intensive care wards. And as she prepared to go back to ICU and case numbers began climbing, Sim started talking to her friend Ailsa. Through the exhaustion, the confusion, the many tears and the surprising moments of hilarity, Sim kept talking. And Ailsa started writing. In The Care Factor, Ailsa walks behind Sim as she faces the realities of the coronavirus. The result is a deeply human account of what the pandemic has really meant, not just for Sim and her fellow health professionals, but also for their patients, their families and friends, and the many who faced life in lockdown. This is a celebration of nursing, of friendship, and of the layers of connection and care that allow us to keep going when it feels impossible.

This is a story about trees and fungi connected through a ‘wood wide web’ – told by one tiny fungal spore. A little fungus meets a baby cacao tree and they learn to feed each other. They cooperate with a forest of plants and a metropolis of microbes in the soil. But when drought strikes can they work together to survive? The fourth book in the Small Friends Books series, this science-adventure story explores the Earth-shaping partnerships between plants, fungi and bacteria. A beautifully-illustrated science-adventure story, created in collaboration with scientists. Engages children in the invisible world of microbes.‘The Science Behind the Story’ section allows for deeper exploration of the scientific concepts underpinning the story.

When a tree cries out in pain, some unexpected heroes come to the rescue. Nema and her gang of young nematodes (tiny worms) embark on a dangerous journey underground. The Xenos, a group of wise but deadly bacteria, hitch a ride. The story of how they help the tree is full of action, life-or-death challenges and microscopic warfare. It is a story of co-operation and ancient partnership, about events happening allover the Earth, in the hidden worlds beneath our feet. FEATURESA beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, created in collaboration with scientistsEngages children in the invisible world of microbes‘The Science Behind the Story’ section allows for deeper exploration of scientific concepts underpinning storyTeacher Notes available to support the use of this book in the classroomThe Small Friends Books series combines cutting-edge scientific research, rich narrative and beautiful illustrations to tell stories that describe symbiotic partnerships between microbes and larger life forms

One Nurse. Trillions of microbes. A deadly WWI battle. In France of 1916, battlefield nurse Sister Annie Barnaby encounters a strain of lethal bacteria while treating a patient with dysentery. This army of bacteria invades deep into her gut, rallying the resident microbes to fight for their lives--and hers Enter the phage, deadly microscopic predators, ready to wage war and protect their host. This graphic novel examines what happens when bacteria attacks the body and how the body's defenses respond, drawing upon parallels to wartime combat.

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective Squishy Taylor and her dad have just moved in with the two most annoying twin sisters EVER. But when Squishy finds a runaway boy hiding in their basement, she'll need all the help she can get

Why are tunnels both exciting and scary? How do dogs always know who the bad guys are? Why are pinkie-swears so important? Who's storing toxic waste under the park? It will take a sleuth like Squishy Taylor to investigate these mysteries

How long would it take to ride your bike to a space station? What are those sparks coming from the apartment building across the street? How come you can't hug over the internet? Why is there a renegade astronaut on the roof? With her bravery and enthusiasm, these mysteries should be no problem for super-sleuth Squishy Taylor

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective There's been a mysterious burglary in Squishy's apartment building -- a priceless antique vase has gone missing from a locked room. Could it have been a ghost? It's up to Squishy, Vee, and Jessie to find out

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective Squishy's favorite movie star is filming on their street, right next door But could Carmeline Clancy really be as naughty as the media says? Only Squishy, Vee, and Jessie can solve this mystery . . .

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective Squishy's favorite movie star is filming on their street, right next door But could Carmeline Clancy really be as naughty as the media says? Only Squishy, Vee, and Jessie can solve this mystery . . .

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective Squishy Taylor and her dad have just moved in with the two most annoying twin sisters EVER. But when Squishy finds a runaway boy hiding in their basement, she'll need all the help she can get

Meet Squishy Taylor: sneaky, cheeky ninja-detective Squishy and her bonus sisters are in trouble with the crankiest neighbor in the world. But he might be a diamond smuggler . . . and it's up to them to get to the bottom of it

The Invisible War is about the bacteriophage (bacteria-eating virus) which lives in human mucus and fights dysentery (caused by the Shiga / Shigella bacterium). The story takes place on two different physical scales; the macro-scale, from the point of view of a Australian nurse serving in the trenches of France, and the micro-level, from the point of view of the microbes which fight to keep her body alive when she contracts dysentery. Inspired by very recent discoveries which demonstrate that there is an amazing symbiosis that takes place between us and the bacteriophages. Described widely as a 'second immune system', this symbiotic relationship is our first line of defense against infection by disease-causing bacteria. The Invisible War also shows the filthy tragedy of war and the extreme physical conditions endured by young men and women in World War One.